Frasco orders removal of DOT materials bearing her photo

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco on Wednesday said she has ordered the removal of all Department of Tourism (DOT) materials bearing her image and directed regional offices to stop producing similar content, following criticism raised during Senate deliberations that she was using government-funded tourism programs for alleged "self-promotion."

Speaking at a media forum, Frasco said she instructed DOT regional offices to take down any existing materials featuring her photo, even as she denied having issued any directive to display her image in the first place.

"I have already issued an order—as far as we are concerned to the DOT—to take down any material that may bear my image, and to not produce any material that may bear my image," she said during Kapihan sa Manila Bay

She added that the department would also request local government units to refrain from using her image in tourism-related materials.

Frasco described the issue as a distraction from more urgent national concerns affecting the tourism industry.

“There are so many other things that we need to consider that are of national importance,” she said.

The DOT chief said the order was meant to prevent further controversy and refocus attention on pressing issues in the tourism sector, reiterating her denial of accusations that she was engaging in self-promotion.

“There has never been an order on my end or on the part of the DOT directing the putting up of my image in any of our destinations,” Frasco said.

“So there is no order to revoke because there has never been such an order to put up my image to begin with,” she added.

The issue surfaced on Tuesday during a Senate Committee on Tourism hearing, when Senator Raffy Tulfo presented slides of magazines and promotional materials prominently featuring Frasco.

Tulfo said tourism campaigns should focus on destinations rather than government officials.

Frasco dismissed the allegation, saying her public visibility was a natural result of her work as head of the DOT and not driven by political motives.

“What is being questioned is why I am very visible. The accusation is that I am very visible because I wish to promote myself,” she said.

“But there may be room for the argument that I am very visible because I’m simply working—nothing else,” Frasco added.

She also reiterated that she has no plans to run for any national position, calling claims of self-promotion “unfounded.”

Frasco explained that the DOT operates separate corporate and marketing platforms.

Corporate platforms report on the department’s activities, programs, and projects in line with transparency requirements, while marketing platforms are dedicated solely to promoting Philippine tourism destinations and products.

“As far as the marketing platform is concerned, we have evidence to prove that the destinations, products, and merits of the Philippines have been the singular subject of promotion,” Frasco said

Frasco also clarified that her photo was used without authorization in a Japanese magazine publication, prompting the Department of Tourism (DOT) to conduct an internal review and send a demand letter to the publisher seeking an explanation.

She said she neither granted interviews nor approved any content for the magazine, stressing that no government funds were used in its production.

“I did not grant any interviews, nor were any interviews solicited by the DOT. I did not pay a single peso, nor was a single peso of government funds used for this publication,” Frasco said.

“Immediately upon learning of this publication, I directed the conduct of an investigation, which then led to the sending of a demand letter to Philippine Topics to ensure that they clarify their position,” she added.

The tourism secretary said the publication used her image without her consent and noted that, as of the latest update, the publisher has yet to respond to the department’s letter.

.—MCG, GMA Integrated News